Plants not cespitose, sometimes extensively colonial, long-rhizomatous; rhizomes 1–3 mm thick, with persistent, brown scales, thin, loose cortex, easily detatched when dry. Culms brown or black at base. Leaves: basal sheaths eventually fibrous; sheath fronts membranous, distal leaves with narrow hyaline or whitish-hyaline band extending at least 1/2 sheath length; blades V-shaped in cross-section when young, widest leaves 1+ mm, glabrous. Inflorescences racemose, with 3–25 spikes, ovoid to cylindric; proximal bracts scalelike, usually cuspidate, sheathless; lateral spikes pistillate, staminate, or androgynous, sessile, without prophylls; terminal spike pistillate or androgynous. Proximal pistillate scales with apex obtuse to acuminate or short-awned. Perigynia ascending, veined on both faces, sessile, lanceolate to broadly ovate, planoconvex, base rounded, not spongy, margins acutely angled, at least distally, winglike margins 0.1+ mm wide, apex abruptly contracted to beak, glabrous; beak more than 0.25 mm, with abaxial suture, margins often serrulate, apex bidentate. Stigmas 2. Achenes biconvex, smaller than bodies of perigynia; style deciduous.
Distribution
Temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere
Discussion
Species 14 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Perigynia thin-margined but without prominent, expanded wing; pistillate scales shorter than to nearly equaling perigynia; terminal spike usually pistillate or androgynous. | Carex siccata |
| 1 | Perigynia thin-margined and prominently winged at base of beak; pistillate scales usually longer than perigynia; terminal spike usually staminate. | Carex arenaria |
"shortened" is not a number."thin" is not a number.